Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/2622
"T he light music of whiskey falling into glasses made an agree- able interlude," wrote the iconic Irish author James Joyce in Dubliners. In Euro-centric Portland, Oregon, a city celebrat- ed for farm-to-fork fare, artisan wines and craft distillers, whiskey shines at the newly opened Branch: A Whiskey Bar, located in the Alberta Arts district. "I'm a Jameson man myself," says owner Andrew Finkelman. "I got into Irish whiskeys fi rst, then bourbons." Branch opened early August and their list already spans over 50 different scotches, whis- keys and bourbons to sip by the glass. "Whiskey is really big right now," says Finkelman. "The bourbon and whiskey selection in any liquor store in Portland has almost tripled over the last year." Since Portland is a wine and craft-beer town, it's no surprise that many fi rst-time patrons wander in confessing, "I'm not a whiskey person." That's why Branch features bourbon/whiskey/rye fl ights—three one-ounce tasters. "The tastes are served in a big glass so you can actually smell it," says Finkelman. Like wine, the whiskeys and bourbons can be quite nuanced. "Some are lighter and some have a bit more fruit to them. Some are made for sipping and others you might just want to shoot down occasionally with a beer," says Finkelman smiling. The cocktail menu spotlights the classics, adhering to tradition with the Mint Julep, served in a sparkling silver cup. Two more offbeat concoc- tions: "The Beet Goes On," featuring a beet-infused vodka, and "Give Me Three Steps," a smoked Cabernet wine barrel-infused with Jack Daniel's and mixed with Mexican Coke. The next pièce de résistance in the works will surely have Portlanders breaking out in song: Bacon Bourbon. When? "Very soon," says Finkelman. Pacific Northwest or Whimsy 94 / the tasting panel / september 2009 Portland's beverage scene is unpredictable . . . and that's the way they like it story and photos by Kerry Newberry Wine, Whiskey Branch owner Andrew Finkelman prepare a tradi- tional Mint Julep. A bourbon fl ight at Branch.